PUBLISHED ON (TBP)
MARCH 6,2018

The exploits of Col Joe Achuzia during the war speak volume of his love for his nation; no wonder when the war ended he told his comrades to seek self-exile while he submitted himself to the Nigerian government, leading to his detention for few years. In a cordial chat; he told me that as soon as he was released from detention and men of the press approached him at the prison gate and asked him if he will fight again? He reasoned that the question may have been a direct question from the government of Nigeria and to see if the jail punishment had suppressed him but he told them in clear term that he would fight again if what caused the war repeats itself. The 1967 class of Biafran agitators could not wisely manage post war period; immediately after the war, they laid down their weapons and went their ways, more like a strong objective was achieved. But no victor no vanquish declaration was only to appease their ego before finally taking them into slavery. Had they continued with a gorilla war, striking and retreating, the war would not have led to the marginalization and destruction of the old Eastern region. Late Col. Achuzia refused to freely give the narrative of what actually happened during the post-war period but his comrade spoke extensively. In the narrative; a veteran who is the founder of Biafran Vandals and who once had a rough moment with Achuzia during the war but now his zonal Chairman said that late Achuzia doesn’t like discussing post war failures due to he was imprisoned after the war and had no space to take part. He indicated that Achuzia and his boys enjoyed the war and wanted more of it and had he stayed back, they would have formed a gorilla group.
“We had a lot of complications after the war; the soldiers were starved and due to the genocide going on untamed, few people turned against us, sabotaging us by being informants of the federal troops. They wanted us dead or arrested to completely end the war because they were losing. They point your home that you are a soldier and your home is raided, you are either killed or arrested” he said. This however buttressed the claim that Nigerian government actually started the war when it ended and the post active war included economic war, political war, raids and many more. As soon as the war ended; Nigerian government began a cleanup of remnants of the war. “Soldiers were not motivated after the war; you can’t starve, facing sabotage and wicked Nigerian government and still think of gorilla. So because of this; those of us outside did not think of gorilla; we only thought of a safe place to go” The Vandal affirmed. “Immediately after the 1967 war; everything that caused the war started again and Nigerian government seemed not have learnt anything. I told them that I would fight again if what caused the war repeat itself and I wanted to fight but gathering men and resources was a big task. Our generation saw genocide and nobody wanted to see it again; I was handicapped but I wanted to fight again” Achuzia said.

“We had a lot of complications after the war; the soldiers were starved and due to the genocide going on untamed, few people turned against us, sabotaging us by being informants of the federal troops. They wanted us dead or arrested to completely end the war because they were losing. They point your home that you are a soldier and your home is raided, you are either killed or arrested” he said. This however buttressed the claim that Nigerian government actually started the war when it ended and the post active war included economic war, political war, raids and many more. As soon as the war ended; Nigerian government began a cleanup of remnants of the war. “Soldiers were not motivated after the war; you can’t starve, facing sabotage and wicked Nigerian government and still think of gorilla. So because of this; those of us outside did not think of gorilla; we only thought of a safe place to go” The Vandal affirmed. “Immediately after the 1967 war; everything that caused the war started again and Nigerian government seemed not have learnt anything. I told them that I would fight again if what caused the war repeat itself and I wanted to fight but gathering men and resources was a big task. Our generation saw genocide and nobody wanted to see it again; I was handicapped but I wanted to fight again” Achuzia said. Col. Joe Achuzia believed that the only option to an independent Biafra is war and nothing else can give Biafra independence. Counseling this class of Biafran agitators; he believed that there are two ways to restore Biafra but only one way is guaranteed. “Fight another war and Nigeria will fall; you will get Biafra if you opt for prepared and strategic second civil war, it’s a guarantee or you keep agitating peacefully and wait for years even beyond your generation. You must know that Biafra is with us but concealed by time; your ability to break time is Biafra. You wait- be patient for decades or fight and get Biafra today” Late Col. Joe Achuzia also believed that any peaceful agitation must follow politics and sought the restoration of Biafra politically. First; the existence of Biafra in Nigeria by way of restructuring is his first argument and then Biafra can be held by its tail. He opined that without taking part in politics; that Biafra cannot be held by its tail at a time the people of Biafra are not braced for second war.



Ifeanyi Chijioke writes from Abuja He is an author, Analyst, investigative journalist and TV anchor

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